Giants lose 6-1 — it started with Hunter Pence running into a wall and didn’t improve

DENVER — Hunter Pence went back, back, back. Then he fell. On his back.

It wasn’t pretty, the sight of the Giants’ right fielder crashing into the wall in pursuit of a ball hit by Michael Cuddyer. The noise could be heard throughout Coors Field, and Pence went down and stayed down, the ball trickling away and Cuddyer scurrying into third base.

Manager Bruce Bochy and two trainers raced to the scene, and Pence eventually pushed himself up and told the brain trust he wasn’t going anywhere. So he stayed in the game to experience every moment of the Giants’ 6-1 loss to the Rockies on Monday night.

Afterward, Pence and Bochy made light of the first-inning play if only because Pence did nothing but get the wind knocked out of him. On another ugly night of baseball for the defending champs, perhaps it was best to make light of an episode that could have been far worse.

“Bochy said he needed a minute (before he’d) run back,” said Pence, explaining that the delay was prolonged – Bochy had jogged all the way from the dugout along the third-base line. “He needed me to rest so he could make it back.”

In a season that will be known more for what the Giants didn’t do than did do, Pence always has been there, literally. He’s the most consistent in one regard (at least): attendance, which is more than could be said for many of his teammates who either got hurt or played themselves out of roles.

Pence is the only Giant to play all 131 games. Dating to last season, he has started 140 straight games, the longest active streak in the National League, and Bochy plans to keep punching his name in the lineup.

“I think he’s earned to be out there the rest of the way,” Bochy said.

Pence wants it no other way.

“As a kid growing up, I never would’ve dreamed I’d get to play one day in the major leagues let alone get to play every day,” Pence said, “so I’m just grateful.”

With Bochy’s plan to continue playing Pence regularly and keep center fielder Angel Pagan in center field once he’s activated on Sunday, the only place in the outfield to test young players is left. It was Francisco Peguero’s turn Monday when the Giants got seven hits and Barry Zito coughed up five runs on nine hits, including homers to Todd Helton and Charlie Blackmon.

Meantime, Pence said he didn’t see the replay of his collision with the wall.

“I hope you guys got a good laugh out of it. We’re all laughing about it now,” he said. “I’m sure I’m going to watch it tomorrow and laugh my tail off.”